Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Zero Conditional: Present Simple
The Zero Conditional: Present Simple
We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if
clause' and one in the 'main clause'):
This conditional is used when the result will always happen. So, if water reaches 100
degrees, it always boils. It's a fact. I'm talking in general, not about one particular
situation. The result of the 'if clause' is always the main clause.
The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced by 'when' without changing the
meaning.
For example: If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. (It is always true, there can't be a
different result sometimes). If I eat peanuts, I am sick. (This is true only for me, maybe,
not for everyone, but it's still true that I'm sick every time I eat peanuts)
See this page about the first conditional to learn about the difference between the first
and the zero conditionals. The first conditional is about a specific situation, but the zero
is talking in general.
The First Conditional
The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the other
clause:
It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't know
what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily
come true.
For example (zero conditional): if you sit in the sun, you get burned (here I'm talking
about every time a person sits in the sun - the burning is a natural consequence of the
sitting)
But (first conditional): if you sit in the sun, you'll get burned (here I'm talking about
what will happen today, another day might be different)
(We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it'. This is mostly done in formal
writing).
First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be
true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example.
If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the lottery)
If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
She would travel all over the world if she were rich.
She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this won't
happen)
Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible,
because it's not true. Is that clear? Have a look at the examples:
If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's
impossible for me to call him).
If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.
For example (second conditional): If I had enough money I would buy a house with
twenty bedrooms and a swimming pool (I'm probably not going to have this much
money, it's just a dream, not very real)
But (first conditional): If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes (It's much more
likely that I'll have enough money to buy some shoes)
It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine
the result of this situation.
If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she
didn't study and so she didn't pass)
If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and so I
did feel sick).
If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier
She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine